The present invention concerns a device for transporting parts for supplying machines intended to permit supply of machine parts, or in general intended to ensure the transport of all types of parts in industrial process.
At the present time, several kinds of appliances are known which are intended for the transport of parts and notably devices intended for the supply of machines. Common transport devices include conveyor belt devices formed by a belt or a band driven by rollers or by vibrating rail type devices generally called vibratory type devices.
The conveyor belt devices present drawbacks with respect to occupation of space which renders installation not possible in a great number of situations. They also present certain drawbacks strictly connected with the piecemeal supply of parts, in other words, with the transition which takes place at the end of the band between the conveyor belt and the supplied machine.
The vibratory devices operate on a relatively simple principle which consists of alternatively displacing the rail axially while separating the transported pieces in the air pending return of the rail to its former position. Thus, these vibratory units present oscillating movements with a vertical component destined to cause separation of pieces and horizontal components by axial displacement of the rail. In said manner, the pieces remain in contact with the rail only during its axial displacement towards the front. These vibratory rails, however, present numerous drawbacks related to their design and their utilization. In fact, they do not permit transport of parts at rapid rates and are therefore limited to certain applications. Moreover, certain parts to be transported are fragile and are therefore susceptible to being damaged during their displacement along the rail by repeated shocks due to the vertical oscillations of said rail. In addition, certain pieces can no longer be transported by such rails by reason of their shape. In fact, very fine pieces will overlap and become jammed during the course of their travel; moreover, very heavy pieces require powerful vibratory units, which would interfere with the operation of the rest of the machine. Also, these vibrating rail appliances present the disadvantage of being able to transport the pieces in only one direction, in contrast to the conveyor belt devices, and they also present problems in exiting from rail with certain parts possibly being encountered in the overhang with the risk of being damaged by longitudinal rail end deflection.
Consequently, it is the objective of the present invention to resolve the aforementioned drawbacks of parts supply devices with the aid of simple, reliable means which are not expensive and which are easily implemented. The invention proposes a parts supply device which permits rapid transport of parts, which tends to function in both directions, which is capable of transporting fragile pieces and light-weight parts, while occupying little space, and which facilitates its adaptation to different situations encountered in the industrial process.